A Year in the Life
by LuckyxLabradoodlexLoverx7
Summary: AU: Roger’s life with his new wife, through the birth of their triplets to the death of a good friend. Roger/OC. Three-shot. Takes place in 2009. Rated T, but has an M-rated scene. NOW COMPLETE!
1. New Beginnings

Disclaimer – I own nothing of RENT, except Isabel, Tiffany, Jasmine and the triplets at the very end of the story. Everything else belongs to the wonderful Jonathon Larson. 'Nuff said.

A/N: After watching the movie RENT for the millionth time, I came up with this story.

Summary: AU: Roger's life with his new wife, through the birth of their triplets to the death of a good friend. Roger/OC. One or two shot. Takes place in 2009. Rated T, but has an M-rated scene.

Genre: Drama/None

Rating: T

* * *

CHAPTER ONE  
(chapter title – New Beginnings)

"Isabel, can I talk to you for a minute?" Roger inquired, coming into the bedroom. Isabel was lying in bed, five months pregnant with the couple's first child. Isabel looked so beautiful – she had long black hair and piercing blue eyes. They had met at the grocery store and had been inseparable ever since.

"Sure, sweetheart." Isabel told her husband, sitting up in bed. Roger sat on the edge of the bed and looked lovingly at his wife. He took both her hands in his, gently massaging them. Isabel was on bed-rest for the remainder of her full-term pregnancy, due to her having a miscarriage and a stillborn son three years ago.

"You know I'm going to Santa Fe for a while, right?"

"I know. I want to go with you."

"I know you do, honey, but I'm not sure traveling right now would be the best for you, with the baby coming and all."

"Honey, the baby's not due for another four months – I've been reading in my baby books that it's okay for me to travel in my condition."

"Sweetie, I won't be gone long – like a week to two weeks. Plus, there's nothing really to do in Santa Fe."

"Then why are you going?" Isabel inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm playing a gig with a friend of mine's son that I met there a long time ago."

"Promise me you won't cheat on me."

"I promise – you're the only girl for me." Roger kissed Isabel's cheek, looking lovingly at his wife.

"Call me as soon as you get there." Isabel reminded her husband.

"I will – don't worry." Roger promised, blowing her a kiss from the doorway before heading out the door.

AYITLAYITLAYITL

Isabel was resting, hands on her stomach when she heard someone enter the loft. Lifting her head off the pillow, she saw Mark and his family – wife Tiffany and ten-year-old daughter Jasmine – standing at the end of her bed. Opening her eyes, she smiled at them.

"Hi Cohen's." Isabel whispered, adjusting her position. Tiffany rushed to help her sit up. "Thanks." Isabel thanked her friend.

"You're welcome." Tiffany told her, smiling.

"I picked you these, aunt Isabel." Jasmine indicated to the flowers on the bedside table.

"They're beautiful – thank you, sweetie."

"Any word from Roger?" Mark asked as Jasmine played with Felix – Isabel's 15-year-old black cat. Minx – the younger female tabby – batted at Jasmine's jeans, meowing loudly.

"Yeah – he's arrived and he misses me. He told me to tell you guys, Maureen and Joanne 'hi' and give hugs." Isabel informed the others.

"That was nice of him." Tiffany said, looking at her watch. "Isabel, it's time for your ultrasound appointment."

Isabel nodded and with Mark and Tiffany's help, got out of bed and waddled to the door. Jasmine was comfortable staying at the loft by herself.

At the appointment, it was discovered that Isabel wasn't carrying one baby, but three. Isabel nearly fainted when she saw the pictures on the screen.

"I'll print out the picture to show the proud daddy." The OBGYN told Isabel. Isabel nodded and looked at the picture of the triplets.

"Can you tell if they're boys, girls, or one of each?" Isabel inquired.

"Looks like you're having two girls and a boy." The OBGYN said, smiling.

"I can't wait to tell Roger." Isabel told Mark and Tiffany as they exited the hospital.

"He's going to be thrilled." Mark told her, opening the car door for her.

AYITLAYITLAYITL

Two weeks later, Roger arrived home from Santa Fe – bearing gifts for everyone. To celebrate his homecoming, there was a cookout at Mark and Tiffany's place. Isabel beamed when she saw her husband standing talking with Mark, Maureen and Joanne.

"Hi honey." Isabel greeted her husband. He turned around and looked at his wife. She had gotten more beautiful since the last time he had seen her.

"Sweetheart, it's so good to see you again." Roger told her, carefully hugging his wife. When he broke out of the hug, he noticed her stomach was three times as big as it was before he left.

"Triplets – two girls and a boy." Isabel said, taking him aside. Roger kissed her passionately and gently kissed her stomach.

THE RATED M PART – beginning

Later that night, both of them were getting ready for bed when Isabel started crying. Roger rushed to his wife's side and took her in his arms.

"Shh, baby, shh. It's okay." Roger soothed, his hands rubbing Isabel's back while she sobbed. After half an hour, Isabel calmed down.

"I'm sorry about that – my hormones are out of control." Isabel apologized, feeling Roger slip a hand up her shirt and unfasten her bra.

"No need to apologize." Roger told her, lifting Isabel's shirt over her head and discarded it. He brought a breast to his mouth and gently suckled on the nipple, his hands on Isabel's stomach, feeling the babies move beneath his hands. Drawing the breast out of his mouth, he lifted Isabel onto his lap and watched as she unbuttoned his shirt and watch it slide off his shoulders. Roger kissed her again, his hands sliding down her stomach and unfastened her jeans, placing his right hand between her legs while his left encircled her, drawing her closer to him. Isabel kissed him back and removed his jeans, feeling him harden and lengthen against her thigh.

"Be gentle." Isabel told her husband, lying on her back. Roger nodded and gently went inside her, being careful of the babies.

THE RATED M PART – end

"Hon, are you sure we should be doing this?" Isabel whispered between kisses. Roger looked up at her from where he was and sighed.

"What do you mean if we should be doing this?" Roger asked, resting his head on her swollen stomach. He could hear the moving of the triplets beneath Isabel's stomach.

"I don't want to hurt the babies or me." Isabel pointed out, lying on her back. Roger was next to her in a heartbeat, his warm body against hers.

"I understand, sweetness." Roger told her, kissing her forehead.

"Roger, can we talk for a moment before we go to bed?" Isabel inquired.

"Of course, dove." Roger answered, stroking her cheek with his finger.

"I want to talk about baby names – I was looking through my baby name books and I found two first names and three middle names that I love."

"Name away."

"I was thinking for first names Zoë and Roseanna. The middle names I like are Grace, Joy and Faith."

"What about Sara – I've always loved that name. Plus, it was my sister's name – she died a year ago and I would love to keep it in the family."

"Sure, sweetie – I totally understand." Isabel told him, kissing his bare chest.

"What about Sara Joy and Roseanna Grace?" Roger suggested, gently rubbing Isabel's shoulders.

"I love it."

"For our son, I was thinking Paul David – what do you think?" Roger inquired.

"After my brother?" Isabel asked, feeling tears in her eyes. Her brother had been killed in Iraq two years ago. Roger simply nodded and kissed Isabel's temple and whispered sweet nothings in her ear.

AYITLAYITLAYITL

Four months later, Isabel went in for an emergency C-section and delivered three healthy and perfect babies. The little boy, Paul David, was born first, followed by Roseanna Grace. Lastly, little Sara Joy, was born. Isabel held the two little girls while Roger held his son.

After a while, the babies were placed in basinets and wheeled to the nursery while Isabel was checked into a room.

Roger smiled as he watched his friends hold his children. Mark and Tiffany were holding Roseanna; Maureen and Joanne were holding Paul, while Sam – Roger's friend from Santa Fe – held Sara.

"They're all so beautiful." Maureen whispered, tears in her eyes, as she put Paul back in the basinet.

"I agree." Tiffany spoke up, not looking up from holding Roseanna.

"Where's Jasmine?" Roger inquired.

"At a friend's house – she'll be by later." Mark answered.

That night, Roger stayed in the NICU with Sara, who turned out couldn't breathe on her own and was instantly put on a breathing machine. He looked down at his daughter, wrapped in a pink blanket, her hand closed around his finger.

"You're so perfect, Sara." Roger whispered, looking down at her information.

IT'S A GIRL!

NAME – Sara Joy Davis  
BIRTHDAY – June 21st, 2009  
WEIGHT – Five pounds, four ounces  
LENGTH – Fourteen inches  
PARENTS – Roger & Isabel Davis

Two weeks later, Roger and Isabel brought the babies home for the first time. As a couple, they had decided to paint the nursery yellow. As for what color each of the babies were was a different story, but for the girls, their colors were light green and pink. For the little boy, they decided on blue, since it was a neutral color.

"Welcome home, babies." Isabel told her children as she and Roger put them in the nursery. Roger took a moment to look around the nursery – it had been Mark's old room. The walls were painted light yellow with a green, pink and blue striped rug on the floor in the middle of the room. Three white cribs were on the far end of the room, while the changing table, dresser with clothes and diapers and a toy basket was on the other end. Roger's favorite thing in the room was the white whicker rocking chair pushed against the large window. He had inherited the chair from his grandmother when she passed away, so it had a special spot in Roger's heart.

The overhead light had been replaced with softer lighting, which was probably better on the babies.

"It's perfect." Isabel told her husband as she sat in the rocking chair. Roger sat in the squishy purple armchair next to the rocking chair and held Isabel's hands.

"You're perfect." Roger told her, kissing both her hands.

"We need to add the triplet's bracelets to the baby book your parents got us." Isabel reminded her husband. Roger nodded and carefully removed Sara and Paul's bracelets while Isabel removed Roseanna's. The babies continued to sleep as Roger and Isabel worked on the baby book. Isabel fell asleep in the armchair, so Roger picked her up and carried her to the room next door – their room, then went back to the nursery to set up the baby monitor.

Once the monitor was set up, Roger read a baby book when soft crying distracted him. Ignoring it, he continued reading the book – it told him not to tend to a softly crying baby, only if the baby was screaming at the top of its lungs, then should you tend to it.

"WAAAAH!" one of the babies screamed, making Roger jump. He raced to the nursery and checked what baby was crying – it was Sara. Roger picked her up and checked to see if she was wet. Carrying her to the changing table, Roger carefully changed Sara's diaper. He nearly passed out from the odor coming from the diaper.

"Okay, sweetie, let's get you cleaned up." Roger told the baby, getting a fresh diaper, keeping a firm hand on Sara's stomach. He then decided that Sara needed a fresh outfit, so he got one that would fit her. Once that was done, Roger changed the diaper, humming a nonsense tune.

Once Sara was done, Roger put her in the crib near the door and placed her on her stomach. Just as he was about to exit the room, one of the other babies cried – this time, it was Paul.

"I'm coming little man." Roger told his son, going to the crib next to Sara's. Once Paul was changed, Roger kissed his son's forehead and exited the room when Roseanna's piercing cry greeted his ears.

Finally, all the babies were fed and changed, Roger collapsed into an armchair and closed his eyes. He was about to fall asleep when there was a knock on the door. He got up from out of the chair and went to answer the door. Standing on the other side of the door, were Roger's parents – Irene and Michael Davis.

"Mom, dad – it's great to see you." Roger told his parents, hugging them.

"It's great to see you again, sweetie." Irene told her son, looking around.

"Isabel's sleeping and has been for the past half hour." Roger said, leading them to the kitchen.

"Could we see our grandkids?" Michael inquired.

"Sure, except their sleeping." Roger answered.

"Can I fix you something to eat?" Irene asked, looking through the refrigerator.

"I'm not hungry, but thanks." Roger said, going to the armchair and sat down again. He was out like a light within seconds.

Excited talking greeted Roger's eyes twenty minutes later. He knew that Isabel's parents – Marco and Rebecca – had entered the loft.

"Roger, honey – wake up." Isabel whispered in Roger's ear. Roger opened his eyes and saw two sets of parents sitting on the couch, staring at him.

"Hey everyone." Roger greeted them, his voice hoarse.

"Why don't you two go to bed – Isabel's parents, your mother and I can take care of the triplets." Michael offered.

"Okay – would you guys like to meet them?" Roger inquired. All the grandparents nodded and followed Roger to the nursery.

"This is Sara, Paul and Roseanna." Roger introduced the infants to their grandparents. Roger laughed when he watched the grandparents trying to restrain themselves from picking up their grandchildren. "Okay – you can hold them."

"Who gets to hold which baby?" Marco inquired.

"Take turns – I'm gonna go take a nap." Roger told the grandparents, exiting the nursery and walked to the master bedroom. He saw Isabel sleeping peacefully. Roger smiled and climbed in next to her, gathering her in his arms, as if he would never let her go.

"I love you Isabel Maria Carina Anita Juanita-" Roger purred in Isabel's ear. She then sat up and looked at him as though he were crazy. "What?"

"That's not my full name." Isabel told him, her voice hoarse.

"What is your full name then?" Roger asked, propping himself on his elbow.

"My full name is Isabel Juanita Anna Carina Maria Consuelous-Davis." Isabel corrected him, covering his bare chest with kisses.

"My full name is Roger Adam Edward Davis." Roger said, rubbing Isabel's arm up and down with his palm.

"How is it that you have two middle names and I have four?" Isabel questioned, resting her head on Roger's shoulder.

"I was named after my grandfathers. What about you?"

"I don't know where half the names came from." Isabel joked, placing a hand under Roger's jaw and drew him close to her. Roger climbed on top of her and instantly started kissing her neck and worked his way down.

Isabel ended up falling asleep a few minutes later. Roger stayed awake and observed his sleeping wife. He watched her chest rise and fall with every breath she took, her strawberry-blond hair flowing over her shoulders like a waterfall. Her hands were under her head in a praying position.

Roger gently turned his wife over and looked down at her as she slept. He saw the scar from the C-section and gently kissed it. Moving his eyes over her body, he gently kissed between her legs and each of her thighs. Working his way down, he saw a scar on her knee, then remembered her telling him that she had knee surgery when she injured her knee playing soccer.

Roger laid back down and gathered Isabel in his arms, afraid to let her go. He kissed her temple, whispered 'I love you' in her ear and fell asleep. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he was out like a light.

The next morning, Roger turned over on his side and felt Isabel's side of the bed empty. Sitting up, he saw that he was alone in the bedroom and looking down, saw that he was naked.

Getting out of bed, he threw on some clothes and exited the room. He saw Isabel's and his parents feeding the babies formula. Isabel was nowhere to be seen.

"Isabel's at work, hon." Irene spoke up before Roger could say anything.

"How long ago did she leave?" Roger inquired, pouring himself some coffee and grabbed a cinnamon roll before going out the door.

"She left about an hour ago." Michael called out after Roger.

At eight o'clock that night, Roger and Isabel returned home – hungry and tired. They entered the loft and saw their parents feeding the triplets.

"There's mommy and daddy." Marco told the triplets as Roger and Isabel collapsed onto the sofa, cuddling in each other's arms.

"Kids? You okay?" Michael inquired, going over to his son and daughter-in-law.

"We're just tired – we worked all day." Isabel complained, kicking off her shoes. Roger followed suit and also kicked off his shoes. Both of them were asleep within minutes.

After they had a long nap, Roger and Isabel woke up to have some dinner and spend some time with the triplets. After dinner, Isabel went to breastfeed Paul and Roseanna while Roger held Sara. The grandparents had gone to clean up the kitchen and do their own things while Roger and Isabel attended to their triplets.

"Okay, I'm ready for Sara." Isabel told her husband. Roger nodded and went to take Sara to her mother. Entering the master bedroom, Roger saw Paul and Roseanna asleep on the bed. Isabel sat cross-legged in the middle of the bed, a pillow over her lap.

"How would you like her?" Roger asked, carefully handing the baby to her mother.

"I'll do that, sweetie." Isabel told her husband, smiling down at her daughter.

"Do you mind if I watch?" Roger asked.

"Not at all." Isabel answered, getting herself comfortable. Roger watched Isabel unbutton her blouse and unsnap her bra. She then brought Sara to her right breast. The little baby latched on and within seconds, she was suckling loudly.

"Does it hurt?" Roger inquired. Isabel nodded, not taking her eyes off her daughter.

Twenty minutes later, Sara was done with her meal. Carefully, Isabel removed the baby from her breast and rubbed her back. Roger laughed when a little belch escaped Sara's lips.

"Can you get one of my or your parents to help put the babies to bed?" Isabel inquired, putting her bra and blouse back on. Roger nodded and went to get Isabel's dad. His face lit up like a Christmas tree when Roger asked him to help with the babies.

"Here, you can hold Sara." Isabel told her father, carefully handing Sara to her father. Roger picked up Roseanna just as Isabel picked up Paul. Together, the three of them headed to the nursery and stood at each of the babies cribs.

"I just learned a new lullaby and they seem to like it." Isabel told her father, nodding to Roger who led the singing.

"_Hush now, my baby  
Be still love, don't cry  
Sleep like you're rocked by the stream  
Sleep and remember  
My lullaby  
And I'll be with you when you dream._" Roger, Marco and Isabel sang, gently rocking their babies. When the lullaby was over, they kissed the babies foreheads, placed them in the cribs and turned the mobiles above their heads before exiting the room.

"How're the babies?" Rebecca inquired as Marco, Roger and Isabel entered the living area. Roger saw his parents watching TV and Isabel's parents were in the kitchen.

"They're asleep." Roger answered, sitting down on the couch next to his parents while Isabel sat in the chair next to the couch.

AYITLAYITL

A week later, Roger and Isabel said goodbye to their parents. Now that the parents were leaving, Roger and Isabel let their friends watch the babies while they went to work.

The next day, Joanne, Maureen, Jasmine, Mark and Tiffany walked in the door. Roger was holding Paul and Roseanna while Isabel held Sara.

"Oh my gosh! They're beautiful!" Joanne squeaked as Roger placed Paul in her arms and Roseanna in Maureen's. Isabel placed Sara in Mark's arms and smiled at Roger. Roger smiled back at her and mouthed 'I love you.'

'I love you, too' Isabel mouthed back.

"Dad, may I hold her?" Jasmine asked her father. Mark nodded and carefully handed Sara over to his daughter.

"So, where are we staying?" Maureen inquired.

"You and Joanne are in Collins' room while the Cohen's take my old room." Roger answered, carrying his friend's luggage into their rooms.

"Could I sleep on the couch?" Jasmine asked.

"Sure, sweetie." Isabel answered.

Later, Isabel and Jasmine were setting up the couch to use as a bed as Maureen and Joanne talked softly. Tiffany and Mark had already gone to bed, as did Roger and the triplets.

"Thank you for letting me help put the babies to bed." Jasmine thanked Isabel, fluffing the pillows and got out her favorite bear from her duffel bag.

"Oh, you're welcome, honey." Isabel thanked the girl, smiling as she hugged her. Jasmine hugged Isabel as though she would never let her go.

"Where are your cats?" Jasmine inquired as she got under the covers.

"Felix died and I had to give Minx away." Isabel answered.

"I'm sorry." Jasmine apologized.

"It's okay, sweetie. Get some sleep, okay? I love you."

"I love you, too, Isabel."

Isabel smiled and kissed Jasmine's forehead before going to the master bedroom, taking the monitor with her.

"I can't believe the triplets are three weeks old already." Isabel announced. There was no answer from Roger, who was out like a light. Isabel smiled and changed into her pajamas before climbing into bed next to her husband and partner for life.


	2. Making New Friends

CHAPTER TWO  
(chapter title – Making New Friends)

Three years later, Roger smiled at his sleeping triplets – Roseanna, Paul and Sara. The three-year-olds were down for a nap while Isabel took the new dog – a 4-year-old Australian Shepard/Sharpay/Lab/Chow mix named Missy – for a walk. The five of them moved to a three-story brownstone house when the kids were two-months-old and have been enjoying life ever since.

"Hey honey." Isabel greeted her husband, taking off Missy's leash and took off her shoes.

"Hi babe – how was the walk?" Roger asked, wrapping his arms around Isabel's waist, drawing her close.

"It was good, but I couldn't stop thinking about you and the triplets." Isabel said, wrapping her arms around his neck, going for a kiss. Roger deepened the kiss and led Isabel to the bedroom.

"We have twenty minutes before they wake up." Roger said, closing the door behind him and locked it.

"I'm so horny right now." Isabel told him, stripping out of her clothes. Roger sat on the edge of the bed and took his time taking off his clothes. Isabel realized that there was something wrong with him – usually, they went straight to the sex, but Roger didn't seem to be in the mood.

"Mark's sick." Roger broke the silence.

"What's wrong?" Isabel asked, putting her clothes back on.

"He has leukemia – stage one." Roger answered, feeling tears in his eyes. Within minutes, he burst out crying. Isabel held Roger and let him cry, stroking his hair and soothing him the best she could.

"I'm so sorry, sweetie. I wish there was something I could do." Isabel whispered in Roger's ear, kissing it and worked her way down his jaw. Roger shook his head and exited the room, closing the door behind him.

Isabel went to wake up the triplets when she heard soft singing coming from the inspiration room. Getting the twins up, changed and into their high chairs for lunch, Isabel went to check on her husband.

"Honey, wanna help me feed the kids lunch?" Isabel inquired. Roger put his guitar down and exited the room, going straight to the kids. He put the pieces of sliced chicken on each of the kid's trays while Isabel cut up vegetables for the kids.

Once lunch was eaten, Roger and Isabel got the triplets out of their high chairs and put them in their strollers – Roseanna and Paul in one and Sara in the other – before going for a walk. Isabel put Missy's leash back on and together, the family headed on a walk.

The cool fall air stung Roger's eyes as he and Isabel walked to the nearby park so that the triplets could play before going down for a nap.

Arriving at the park, Roger and Isabel got the triplets out of the strollers and let them play. There was another family there – a young couple in their early twenties with two kids – one was a little girl who looked about five and a boy who looked to be three.

"Hi." Roger greeted the couple, sitting down next to them.

"Hello." The woman greeted him. She had short curly blond hair and hazel eyes.

"I'm Roger and that's my wife Isabel. The dog is Missy." Roger introduced himself and Isabel.

"I'm Amanda and this is my husband, Franklin. Our children are Lily and Oliver." The woman introduced herself.

"Our children are Roseanna, Paul and Sara."

"How old are they?" Franklin inquired. He was an African-American man with dark eyes and a kind smile.

"They're three." Roger answered, watching the kids play. Just then, Oliver came over and knocked Sara to the ground, which caused her to burst out crying.

"OLIVER ALEXANDER! COME HERE NOW!" Amanda yelled at her son. Within minutes, Oliver came over, looking scared.

"Time out for five minutes." Amanda told him, pointing to a spot on the bench. Oliver sat on the bench, crying the whole time. Roger excused himself from his new friends and went to check on Sara. Because of her small size, Sara was always picked on.

"You okay, baby?" Roger asked, brushing off the dirt from Sara's behind. She nodded and motioned to be picked up. Roger picked his daughter up and held her close.

Forty-five minutes later, Roger and Isabel put the kids back in their strollers when Amanda and Franklin came over to them.

"Amanda and I were talking and we want the two of you over for dinner Saturday night at eight." Franklin said, writing down his address for Roger and Isabel.

"Sure, we'll be there. Do you want us to bring anything?" Isabel asked.

"Just the kids and some dessert." Amanda spoke up.

"Is that all?" Roger inquired, leading the way out of the park. Both Franklin and Amanda nodded as they put Oliver in his stroller. Lily held onto her mother's hand, as if she would never let it go. Franklin lifted the five-year-old on his shoulders and waved goodbye to the Davis'.

"See you later." Amanda told the Davis', exiting the park and went in the opposite direction of the Davis'.

"They seem nice." Isabel commented as she and Roger put the triplets down for their naps.

"Yeah – they do." Roger whispered, putting Paul and Roseanna in their cribs while Isabel put Sara in hers.

Once the triplets were down for a nap, Roger and Isabel used that moment to do some light housework and pay some bills.

"We should start looking for beds now." Isabel announced out of the blue.

"What? They're only three-years-old." Roger said, dusting the bookshelf.

"I know – I don't know where that came from." Isabel told her husband, wiping down the triplets high chairs and some of the toys that were near the sink.

After the housework was done, they took a shower and had some quick sex before the triplets woke up.

After dinner, Isabel ran to the bathroom and threw up for fifteen minutes straight. Roger instantly became concerned and stayed at the bathroom door while the triplets watched a movie.

"MINE!" Roseanna screamed.

"NO MINE!" Paul shouted.

"MINE!"

"DADDY!" Sara yelled as Isabel and Roger ran into the room.

"What's going on?" Roger inquired. That's when he saw it – his guitar on the ground, the neck broken.

"Dada, accident." Paul spoke up.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO MY GUITAR?" Roger yelled, startling all three of the kids.

"Honey, let's not get upset – it was an accident." Isabel soothed, gently rubbing Roger's shoulders. He shrugged her off and turned to his children.

"Whoever doesn't speak up as to what happened is grounded the entire day tomorrow." Roger threatened, looking from Roseanna to Paul to Sara.

"Paul and Rosie was fighting over toy an' bumpeded into your guitar." Sara spoke up, receiving glares from her siblings.

"Tattletale." Roseanna said, her tone angry.

"Yeah, tattletale." Paul echoed.

"Hey – don't talk to your sister like that." Roger said. Turning to Sara, he added, "thank you for telling me the truth, honey. Go with mommy to the kitchen and she'll get you a special treat."

"Otay dada. Me wuv you." Sara told him, hugging Roger around the leg. Roger smiled and patted her butt as she and Isabel walked to the kitchen.

"As for you two, starting tomorrow, you're grounded for the whole day." Roger said, his tone angry.

"But dada – that no fair." Roseanna whined, tears in her green eyes.

"Roseanna Grace, no whining." Roger told his daughter.

"Why you mad at us and not Sawa?" Paul asked.

"Because – unlike you two – she told me the truth." Roger answered.

Once the triplets were in bed, Roger carefully picked up the pieces, grumbling angrily to himself.

"Babe, you coming to bed soon?" Isabel asked, her tone sleepy.

"Yeah – I'll be there soon, muffincake." Roger replied, putting his guitar in its case near the door, reminding him to take it in the next day and get it fixed.

"You know, you had every right to talk to Paul and Roseanna like that, but I didn't like how you handled the situation." Isabel said, watching Roger strip out of his clothes and put his pajamas on.

"It's the way I was brought up, hon. It's nothing personal." Roger told her, getting under the auburn sheets. Isabel rolled her eyes and recoiled under Roger's weight as he got on top of her.

"Honey, not tonight – I'm tired." Isabel moaned as Roger kissed her neck and worked his way down, his hands on Isabel's small ass.

"But I'm horny." Roger complained, moving his hands under her boxers and felt around.

"No, Roger – I mean it." Isabel said sharply, pushing Roger off her. He only deepened his kisses, his hands snaking their way between Isabel's legs. She finally gave in and let Roger make love to her, enjoying every minute of it.

Around midnight, Roger was in a deep sleep when something startled him out of it. It sounded like retching coming from the bathroom. Getting out of bed, Roger made his way to the bathroom and knocked on the door.

"Honey – are you okay?" Roger asked.

"I'm not feeling well." Isabel answered.

Roger opened the door and went to Isabel's side, gently kissing her neck and holding her hair back as she threw up. He saw tears and sweat on her face, so grabbing a washcloth, he gently cleaned her face as she threw up.

Finally, Isabel was finished and got cleaned up while Roger went back to bed. Isabel collapsed onto the bed and made herself comfortable. Roger moved closer and wrapped his arms around her, whispering loving words in her ear.

Once Isabel was fast asleep, Roger stayed awake, watching her sleep. Around four-thirty in the morning, Roger fell asleep, his arms wound tightly around Isabel's waist and his head resting on Isabel's shoulder.

The next morning, Roger figured something was wrong. Isabel was in the bathroom again, puking her guts out, if that was possible. He got the triplets up, dressed and fed. He let Sara sit on his lap while he had breakfast.

"Honey, I'm not feeling well." Isabel croaked, standing in the doorway of the eating area. Roger lifted Sara off his lap and walked over to her – she was paler than ever and looked tired.

"Okay, babe – I'll stay home from work and take care of you." Roger said, kissing Isabel's forehead. He then went to call Maureen to see if she and Joanne could watch the triplets for the day. Maureen squealed with excitement and said she would be over soon to take them over to her and Joanne's place.

After he called Maureen, Roger called Pet Peeves – the place he took Missy when he and Isabel needed a day to themselves. Meagan – the owner of Pet Peeves – said that she would send someone over to pick Missy up.

Finally, Roger called the office where he worked and asked to take the day off so that he could care for Isabel. His boss understood and said that he would see Roger in whenever.

"Can I get you anything sweetie?" Roger inquired, sitting next to Isabel, who was now back in bed.

"Not right now, babe." Isabel answered, her voice sleepy. Roger got under the blankets and brought Isabel close to him. His hands stroked her hair, as if she was a cat. His lips caressed and kissed every inch of her skin. Isabel continued to sleep, which was probably the best thing for her.

Roger placed his hands under Isabel's nightshirt and felt around. He carefully lifted it off her head and unsnapped her bra. Carefully, he rubbed her back, feeling her soft skin beneath his hand. Turning her over, he gently massaged each of her breasts, gently suckling on each one.

He then put her bra and shirt back on before removing her boxer shorts and underwear. Roger carefully kissed between her legs and stomach, wrapping some of Isabel's pubic hair between his fingers. Isabel opened her eyes and moaned with pleasure as Roger continued kissing her. She removed her shirt and bra as Roger removed his clothing.

"Don't stop." Isabel whispered in Roger's ear, feeling him go further inside her. She felt him lengthen inside her as she kissed his shoulders and chest, working her way down.

"I love you so much."

"I love you, too."

"How are you feeling?"

"A little better."

"I'm glad to hear that." Roger took a moment to kiss between Isabel's breasts and stayed there, her warmth raiding off her skin and onto his.

"Honey, I have to pee." Isabel announced, untangling herself from his body and went to the bathroom. She returned a few minutes later and dived into bed, bringing the covers over her. Roger climbed under the covers and kissed Isabel all over as Isabel kissed him all over.

An hour later, Isabel and Roger were fast asleep after four hours of intense love making when the phone rang, startling them out of their sleep. Roger walked naked to get the phone as Isabel ran to the bathroom.

"Hello?" Roger croaked.

"Roger? It's Maureen. Sara and Paul are having nightmares and neither Joanne or I can get them calmed down."

"Do you have a rocking chair?"

"Two, actually."

"Great – Joanne can take one and you take the other. Rock them to sleep and if that doesn't work, let them go to bed with you, but only let them stay for ten minutes."

"What about Roseanna?"

"She sleeps like a rock." Roger said, feeling Isabel's hands on his hips and work their way down. "Maureen, I've gotta go."

"Okay. Good night."

"Night." Roger quickly hung up and turned his attention to his wife.

"I'm ready for more."

"Really? More? I thought you were tired?"

"I am a little bit, but being pregnant, my hormones are out of control." Isabel told him, nearly dragging him to their room.

"Whoa – you're pregnant? Who's the father?" Roger inquired, a little surprised.

"You are, you idiot!" Isabel exclaimed. Roger couldn't tell by her tone if she was joking or not.

"How far along are you?" Roger asked as the two of them climbed back into bed.

"About three weeks." Isabel answered, taking Roger's shaft in her hands and put the tip in her mouth. Roger was totally aroused.

Finally, around seven AM, the two of them fell asleep in each other's arms.

"Roger, what day is it?" Isabel asked.

"Saturday – why?"

"We have the dinner at Franklin and Amanda's tonight."

"Right – I completely forgot about that."

"It should be fun. Don't forget-" Isabel's thoughts were interrupted when she made a mad dash for the bathroom, nearly slipping on a wet towel on the floor. She regained her balance and threw up for ten minutes. Roger just stayed in bed, wishing that there was something he could do for her.

Around noon, Maureen dropped the triplets off while Roger went to pick up Missy.

"Momma, I misseded you so much." Roseanna said, waddling over to Isabel. Paul and Sara ran over and hugged Isabel around the legs.

"How were they, Maureen?" Isabel asked as Roger came in the door with Missy.

"They were angels, except there was a finger painting incident." Maureen answered, watching the triplets attack Roger and talk all at once to him.

"What finger painting incident?" Isabel asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Joanne and I gave them some paper and some finger paints. I went to answer the phone and when I came back, Joanne, our furniture, the triplets and the wall were covered in orange, yellow, green, blue and red paint."

Isabel snickered, trying to picture Joanne covered in finger paint.

"Other than that, were they good?" Roger asked.

"Yeah, they were great." Maureen answered, looking at her watch, "shoot – Joanne and I have an appointment. We'll talk later, okay?"

"What appointment?" Roger inquired.

"Joanne and I are adopting a three-year-old girl – her name's Laurie." Maureen answered. Roger and Isabel hugged her tightly.

"What made you decide to adopt Laurie?" Roger asked.

"Watching the two of you with the three of them – you're great with them."

"Good luck at the appointment." Isabel said, hugging Maureen for good luck.

Once Maureen was gone, Roger and Isabel put the triplets down for a nap so they could take one, too.

At seven-thirty, Roger, Isabel and the triplets were on their way to Amanda and Franklin's house.

"Turn right on South Lawn." Isabel read the directions from the MapQuest map she printed off before they left.

"Okay, then what?" Roger asked, turning onto South Lawn.

"Proceed straight ahead for three miles then turn left onto Turtle Drive." Isabel answered.

Ten minutes later, Roger put the car in park in front of a large stone house. He knew it was Franklin and Amanda's house because a large number of cars were parked on the street. Together, he and Isabel got the triplets out of their car seats and carried them inside.

Isabel rang the doorbell and Amanda came to greet them. She ushered them inside, but the Davis' couldn't move. Where they stood was pure white – white walls, white furniture, white carpeting and a white fireplace.

"Oh. My. God." Isabel whispered, in total awe.

"Everything's clean." Roger said, in shock.

"Come in you guys." Franklin spoke up, taking Roger by the arm. Isabel, Amanda and Roger put the kids in the playroom and took a tour of the house.

After the tour, Franklin and Roger went to the lounge while Isabel and Amanda went to the kitchen.

"Isabel, meet Megan, Holly, Candi, Lucy and Erica. Girls, this is Isabel Davis."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Megan said, shaking Isabel's hand.

"You, too." Isabel said, shaking Megan's hand.

"So, what sort of work are you in?" Holly asked, taking a sip of her wine.

"I'm a freelance photographer." Isabel told the women.

"Any kids?" Candi asked.

"Triplets – Roseanna, Paul and Sara."

"How old?" Lucy inquired.

"They're three-years-old."

"Do you have a nanny or sitter while you and your husband are at work?" Erica spoke up.

"Our friends – Joanne, Maureen, Tiffany, Mark and Jasmine – watch them from time-to-time. Although, Mark's sick right now, so just Maureen and Joanne watch them." Isabel answered, feeling herself start to ramble.

The women talked for a few more minutes before Franklin announced that dinner was ready.

"Hey babe." Roger greeted his wife as she sat down next to him.

"Hey sweetie." Isabel greeted him back, smiling at him.

Dinner conversation was focused on Isabel and Roger and what they did for a living, if they had nannies to take care of the triplets, etc.

After dinner, it was charades – the women vs. the men. Isabel smiled when she got her clue – "Gone with the Wind" one of her favorite movies.

Isabel motioned to her teammates that it was a four-word clue. For the first word, she made a film reel with her hands.

"MOVIE!" Erica shouted. Isabel nodded and went to the second clue. She exited the room and didn't return.

"LEAVE!" Holly exclaimed.

"GONE!" Candi spoke up. Isabel re-entered the room and nodded at Candi.

"GONE WITH THE WIND!" Isabel's teammates yelled in unison.

"Amanda, where's your bathroom?" Isabel asked, looking pale.

"Second door on the left." Amanda told her. Isabel nodded and ran for the bathroom.

"Roger, is she all right?" Aaron inquired as he got his and Erica's kids – ten-year-old Ashley and five-year-old Trevor.

"She's going through morning sickness." Roger answered, getting the triplets. Paul was fast asleep, thumb in his mouth – the girls looked like they were about to fall asleep.

Half an hour later, Roger and Isabel arrived at their brownstone and carried the kids inside.

"They're getting heavy." Roger whispered, placing Roseanna and Paul in their cribs while Isabel placed Sara in hers.

"I know." Isabel whispered back.

"Tomorrow, they have a doctor's appointment in the morning, then daycare while you and I work." Roger said as he and Isabel got ready for bed.

"Then next week is my ultrasound appointment." Isabel told him, undressing and got under the covers. Roger climbed in next to her and took her in his arms.

"What are we going to tell the kids?" Roger asked, drawing Isabel closer.

"The truth." Isabel answered simply.

"I was thinking about baby names today – if it's a boy, I would like to name him after my best friend. If it's a girl, I would like to name her Angel Rosario." Roger said.

"Sure baby – I love those names." Isabel replied, resting her head on Roger's chest. Within minutes, she was asleep.

Roger kissed her cheek and shortly fell asleep, dreaming of his growing family.


	3. A Year in the Life

CHAPTER THREE  
(chapter title – A Year in the Life)

_Five hundred twenty-five thousand  
Six hundred minutes  
Five hundred twenty-five thousand  
Moments so dear  
Five hundred twenty-five thousand  
Six hundred minutes  
How do you measure, measure a year?_

Roger and Isabel welcomed a son – Marcus Andrew Davis – into the world on May 25th, 2013. He weighed in at 7 pounds, 4 ounces and was sixteen inches long. The triplets were happy to see and hold their new brother. Everyone's doing great and the baby's healthy and happy. 

_In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee  
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife  
In five hundred twenty-five hundred  
Six hundred minutes  
How do you measure a year in the life?_

Mark, however, passed away in the spring of 2012 of leukemia. His friends and family surrounded him when he took his last breath of air. After her husband died, Tiffany vowed never to fall in love again. She spent the last five years raising her daughter on her own until she passed away due to a brain aneurysm. Jasmine was only eighteen-years-old. 

__

How about love?  
How about love?  
How about love?  
Measure in love.  
Seasons of love  
Seasons of love

The adoption of little Laurie Michelle Johnson-Jefferson went through and both Maureen and Joanne couldn't be happier.

_Five hundred twenty-five thousand  
Six hundred minutes  
Five hundred twenty-five thousand  
Journeys to plan  
Five hundred twenty-five thousand  
Six hundred minutes  
How do you measure the life of a  
Woman or a man?  
_

_In truths that she learned  
Or in times that he cried  
In bridges he burned  
Or the way that she died_

Shortly after little Marcus was born, Roger passed away suddenly. Isabel relied on the help of Tiffany and Jasmine to care for the triplets (who were now four-years-old) and newborn Marcus.

__

It's time now to sing out  
Tho' the story never ends  
Let's celebrate, remember  
A year in the life of friends

Remember the love  
Remember the love  
Remember the love  
Measure in love  
Seasons of love  
Seasons of love

A month after their last grandchild was born, Irene and Michael passed away within three weeks of each other. Rebecca and Marco are in a nursing home and are starting to show the beginning stages of dementia and were treated with respect until their dying day. 

_Oh, you've got to, got to remember the love  
You know that love's a gift from up above  
Share love, give love, spread love  
Measure, measure your life in love_

Everyone is living life to the fullest and overcoming obstacles that come their way.


End file.
